Today has brought sad news for fans of Trailer Park Boys and The Candy Show actress and comedian Candy Palmater, as it was revealed that she passed away on Christmas Day, at the age of only 53.
The news of Candy Palmater’s death came from her wife and manager, Denise Tompkins, who posted the announcement on the Instagram page for The Candy Show, and noted:
There haven’t been any recent updates on Palmater’s cause of death, but the entertainer had shared several posts this month, which revealed that she’d been hospitalized for many days. About three weeks ago, Palmater shared her first post, which noted that she was in the hospital, and then a short while later posted a photo of herself after being admitted, and let her fans know that she would have to spend her 53rd birthday in the hospital.
Palmater later revealed that she’d been admitted to the cardiac unit, and had to have a CT scan done on her heart. About two weeks ago, she then told followers that she’d been diagnosed with a rare condition called EGPA (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis), was being taken care of by specialists in ENT, cardiology, respirology, rheumatology, and GI, and said, in part:
My chronic asthma has caused my heart to swell. Because it’s rare I feel they are all kind of nerding out on it which is great. An angiogram and a biopsy to go…Thank you to the nurses, assistants and all the care givers at St. Michaels Hospital for taking such tender care of me. And finally to YOU for all your notes and posts and words of kindness. When you say things like “we need you”, as a childless woman, it warms the very marrow of my heart to feel needed in some way! All this to say thank you AND life is beautiful. ❤️
Palmater was released from the hospital about a week ago, and seemed to be in good spirits and renewed health. She was finally able to reunite with her wife, after not being able to visit with her while in the hospital, because of COVID. Palmater had gone back to posting shots of her daily life, including as she took “a few strengthening steps outside” to enjoy the fresh air near her Toronto home.
After becoming a legal secretary, Palmater attended Dalhousie Law School in Halifax, and went on to become the first Aboriginal law student in Canada to be valedictorian of her graduation class when she graduated in 1999. She eventually began a career more focused on making people laugh, and stared acting and lending her talents to radio programs and newspaper columns. Along with her work on Trailer Park Boys and The Candy Show, Palmater appeared on shows like Forgive Me and Sex & Violence, and had her own daily summer series on CBC Radio, The Candy Palmater Show, in 2016.
It’s not clear right now whether or not Candy Palmater’s health was known to have taken a turn for the worse before she died at home, but it is clear from the number of flowers and other well wishes from friends, family, and co-workers that she posted, that she will be missed by many. Revisit her work in some of our favorite Trailer Park Boys episodes. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew her at this difficult time.
